A California father died and his wife was critically injured early Saturday in a multi-vehicle pile-up on Interstate 80 just west of Lagoon Valley Road. The incident began around 2:35 a.m. when Greg and Vanessa Tobias, both 29, of Vacaville, were traveling eastbound on I-80 and their Hyundai Tucson flipped, obstructing the roadway, according to authorities.
Moments later, three oncoming vehicles collided with the overturned Hyundai, triggering a chain-reaction crash across the freeway. Responders from the California Highway Patrol Solano Area found Greg Tobias deceased at the scene. The circumstances leading to the initial rollover are under investigation.
Vanessa Tobias, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was transported to Kaiser Vacaville in critical condition. Her sister, Charlize Estebez, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Vanessa's medical expenses and Greg's funeral. "Austin, Greg and Vanessa’s only child, is now facing a future without his father, while his mother continues the fight of her life," Estebez wrote on the fundraiser page.
Estebez described her brother-in-law as "a loving and caring husband, father, son, brother, and friend." She added, "Most importantly, he leaves behind so many friends and family who loved him deeply and who will carry his love with them every day."
The driver of the Kia that struck the Tobias' vehicle sustained major injuries and was also taken to Kaiser Vacaville. The drivers of a blue BMW coupe and a grey Buick SUV involved in the crash reported no injuries. Authorities do not suspect drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision, which remains under investigation. Investigators believe both Greg and Vanessa Tobias were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.